What’s National got to hide?
During the debate over the Electoral Finance Bill John Key’s made a lot of noise about National’s willingness to clamp down on anonymous […]
History repeats, part II
There’s a famous line from Joyce’s Ulysses in which the main protagonist Stephen Dedalus states “history is a nightmare from which I am […]
History repeats
The Dominion, election day 1938: If the socialist government is returned to power your vote today may be the last free individual vote […]
Tell the full story Audrey
Grannywriter Audrey Young’s story headlined “Exclusive Brethren’s email sets stage for Electoral Finance Bill” is more National Party spin. The Brethren’s email to […]
NZ Herald openly campaigning against Govt
So the NZ Herald has finally admitted it’s running a campaign against the government. Check out this ridiculous, chest-thumping, self-congratulatory piece from their […]
Laila on unions
Laila Harre’s Bruce Jesson Memorial Lecture is now available in full over at Scoop. It’s titled Union Relevance in Aotearoa in the 21st […]
Electoral Finance Bill – some sense at last?
I’m not always a fan of Colin Espiner’s work, but thank goodness someone’s injected a bit of sense into this morning’s hysteria over […]
National’s hoax on unemployed workers
Last week Stats NZ announced unemployment had dropped to a record low of just 3.5%, after reaching double-digit figures under National in the […]
‘Political commentator David Farrar’
You do have to wonder sometimes who’s making the judgment calls in our newsrooms. Last night One News decided to use a National […]
Robertson to win Wellington Central candidacy
Charles Chauvel has withdrawn his nomination for Wellington Central. This leaves Grant Robertson the uncontested Labour candidate, likely to be confirmed on November […]
International flip-floppery
Thought that we had a worldwide monopoly here in NZ on right wing flip-floppers with Don Brash, John Key et al? Think again. […]
Benson-Pope won’t run as an independent
The Herald reports that “Dunedin South MP David Benson-Pope says he will not stand as an independent if he is not selected as […]
Jon Stewart on torture
Via onegoodmove
Belated Halloween post – vampire maths
Vampires can’t exist. It turns out that their existence would contradict ours. Here’s the maths to prove it: “Let us assume that a […]
Quoting out of context
DPF and the National Party have made much of a Helen Clark quote unearthed from her conference speech in 2000 on tax cuts. […]
Kerik indictment likely to tarnish Guiliani
Bloomberg reports that Bernard Kerik, the former police commissioner under New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani who withdrew his nomination to head the […]
Larry Lessig talks creative freedom at TED
About a year ago I discovered the TED website. It’s rapidly become a staple in my internet diet. From their ‘about‘ page: TED […]
Record low unemployment: 3.5%
From Ruth Dyson’s press release: The latest Household Labour Force Survey quarterly results from Statistics NZ confirm the Labour-led government’s employment policies and […]
Roy Morgan poll
There’s a new Roy Morgan poll today, and it’s good news for the left. Gary Morgan says: “The vote for the Labour Government […]
The power of the web
All election addicts are casting their eyes to what is happening in other countries & especially over in Australia and in the States. […]
Reclaiming the high ground of morality and economics
Evan Thornley is a member of the Upper House of the Victorian State Labor govt. He spoke recently at the NZ Labour Party […]
More gossip from the right
Crown Prosecutor Simon Mount is rumoured to be replacing Bob Clarkson for National in Tauranga next election. Which is a bit rough considering […]
Jockeys change at National – Return of the Hollow Men
Chris Simpson has suddenly gone as manager of the National Party, and Steven Joyce and Jo de Joux are back. According to The […]
Terrorism charges blocked
The Solicitor general has decided against allowing prosecutions under the Terrorism Suppression Act for all 12 people referred to him by the police […]
Chaos at National
It seems the suggestion of “Deutschland uber alles” as a campaign song has got National’s General Manager Chris Simpson the boot. I also […]
Why’d you do it Chris?
Chris Knox had a good piece in the Dom Post today explaining why he wrote Labour’s new campaign song. Here’s an extract: Good […]
Running like a well oiled machine
Watching party conference made me think of this old ad – when it all lines up great things can happen. Fortunately for Honda […]
More confusion from National over bulk funding
Some people just never learn. After National’s conflicting statements on bulk funding the other day you’d have thought they’d get their messages in […]
Brownlee dazed and confused over election spending
Following on Tane’s post yesterday, it looks like Ger’s in trouble with his Nat bosses over his comments that National would back the […]
Herald farewells fact-check
It looks like Herald journo Audrey Young needs to go back to the basics and check a few facts before going to print. […]
National hollow on election funding
It’s not often we’re wrong, but we’re right again. Gerry Brownlee dropped a clanger in Parliament today when he admitted that National’s opposition […]
New blog
University of Otago political studies student Geoffrey Miller has set up a blog about the ACT Party, called Douglas to Dancing. It seems […]
Kiwiblog loses the plot
Regular readers of David Farrar’s National Party blog will be aware that it’s been in a bit of trouble lately. Aside from the […]
Labour’s earworm
powered by ODEO Written by Chris Knox, the song should come with a warning. Having heard it once, you’re unlikely to be able […]
Twins?
A mate just sent through this pic from the Labour Party conference. That’s EPMU president Don Pryde on the left and fellow Dunedinite […]
National doublespeak
It’s happened again. The Nelson Mail reports that: National MP and former principal Allan Peachey has broken ranks with front-bench colleague Katherine Rich […]